Universal joint



H. M. FUNNELL UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed March 18, 1922 I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 17, 1%23.

lTE. ii

HARRY M. FUNNELL, OF BLOOIEFIELD, CONNECTICUT.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Application filed March 18, 1922.

To (all echo 172 525 may concern Be it known that I, HARRY M. FUNNELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Universal Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to universal-joints, and while I have a numbel' of important objects in View, the principal of them is the provision of effective means by which the moving parts of the joint can be adequately lubricated.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification, I have shown in detail one of the several forms of embodiment of the invention, which to enable those skilled in the art, to practice the same will be set forth fully in the following description. I am not restricted to this disclosure. I may depart therefrom in a number of particulars withinthe scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a universal-joint involving the invention. r

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, as viewed for instance from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a bushing and adjunctive means.

Fig. 4 is an inside view of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

Like characters refer to throughout the several views.

The joint involves in its construction three main members, two of them generally being forked members and the third one usually consisting of a ring. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown two of these main members as 2 and 3, consisting as shown of stub shafts having forks at their forward ends. The branches of the forks are generally at right angles to each other and are provided with outwardly extending studs 4 fitted for turning motion in the third main member as the ring, 5, the openings in the rin or main member 5 pivotally receiving the studs 4 which as will be understood are in coaxially alined pairs at practically right angles to like parts .each other This gives the necessary uni-.

versal movementjand is a' brief description "of a more orless familiar universal joint 1 with my lubricating means operates Serial No. 544,782.

as'found in practice, in a highlv satisfactory manner. It is clear that the lubricating means might be used equally effectively with other forms of universal joints.

in the present case, the lubricating mechanism involves casing means surroundlng the joint and although the casing means is made up of segments, usually four, this is not a vital, yet it is an advantageous consideration. 4 I The lubricant, ordinarily oil, is received 1n the construction shown by four segmental or arouate casing members 6 which are arranged in annular order around the ring 5 so as to present almost a complete circle, the ends of the segmental or arcuate casing members being contiguous to each other. On their outer sides the segmental members 6 have filling openings 7 to receive removable plugs 8, the plugs being desirably threaded to engage threads on the walls of the respective opening 7 and being slotted to facilitate their insertion and removal when necessary.

The segments 6 have about centrally on their inner sides the tubes 9 which receive although they do not desirably directly ongage the respective studs 4.

The respective tubes which it will be understood extend through openings spaced approximately ninety degrees apart in the ring 5, have at. their inner ends outwardly extending flanges 10. which in turn are inwardly flanged as at 11. The flanges 10 bear on their outer sides against the ring 5. The studs 1 as will be noted extend entirely through the tubes 9 centrally thereof and at their outer ends are furnished with extensions 13 of somewhat reduced cross sectional extent. These extensions 13 also extend almost completely across the respective segmental member 6 about midway of the length thereof. Around the studs 1 and practicali y coextensive therewith, are bushings as lei which engage at their inner ends the bvo yokes 2 and 8. The respective bushings t l fit the tubes 9 and are provided with outwardly extending annular flanges 15 between which and the flanges 11, packing rings as 16 are situated. The outer sides of said packing rings fit the respective flanges 10, at their inner sides being solid against the yokes 2 and 8. The flanges 15 in turn have annular rah-bets 17 on their inner sides, i

The bushings 14 as shown have exteriorly thereof, the longitudinal external channels or grooves 18 open at their ends and extending across the annular flanges 15. There may be as shown three of these channels and although theiruse is advantageous it may not always be necessary to produce them in the bushings 14.

It will be assumed that the four casing members 6 are filled with oil and that the joint is being rotated. The oil will be carried along the interior surfaces of the respective bushings 1 lby capillary attraction and will flow outwardly'into the channels 17 where its complete outward How is checked by the packing rings 16. From the 'abbets or grooves 17, the oil, by centrifugal action will be thrown outwardly along the channels orpassages 18 and will be returned back into the casing members 6 which obviously act as reservoirs for the oil. Clearly there is no waste of the oiland all parts are adequately uniformly, and properly lubricated.

The joint heretofore described, is operated on principles not heretofore used with other oil lubricatedjoints. These principles are the fact that the oil reservoir isput exteriorly to thepoint at which leakage can occur while the joint is in action. This'results in centrifugal force which tends to drain the o-il'away from the bearings, as distinguished from prior attempts. The lubrication of this joint is secured owing to the fact that no propeller shaft in an automobile rotates at a constant speed, due to obstructions in the road such as caused by corners, pedestrians and like conditions which cause the irregular driving.

Let it be assumed that the joint covered hereby is rotating at. a constant speed. in this event the oil in the reservoirs will tend to travel in the same direction as the reservoirs but a little slower than the reservoirs due to friction. As each reservoir is complete in itself, the oil tends to fill up the back portion of each reservoir. When the speed of the joint is reduced, the oil due to its momentum, is in fact, travelling faster than its reservoir which causes it to be thrown to the opposite end of its reservoir. In doing this, it has to splash the projection of the journal'provided for this purpose.

From the statements made, it will be evident that the bearing covered hereby is whereas, in prior forms, centrifugal force is used to make the oil flood the bearings and the splash feature is omitted,

WVhat- Iclaim is:

universal'jointcomprisingtwo forked members at approximately right angles to each other and the branches of which have external studs, a ring surrounding the forks and in which the studs are pivotally received to connect the forkedi'nembers for universal movement, a series of hollow segmental lubricant receiving casing members surrounding the ring and the ends of which are contiguous, the casing member having openings and the studs having extensions extended into the respective casing members by way of the openings.

2. A universal joint comprising two forked members at approximately right angles'to each other and the branches of which have external studs, a ring surrounding the forks and in which the studs are pivotally received to connect the forked members for universal movement, aseries of hollow-"segmentalhibricant receiving casing members surrounding the ring andthe ends of which are contiguous, the casing members having openings and the studs having extensions extended into the respective casing members by way of the openings, the casing members having removable scre'w-threaded plugs opposite said extensions. j

4t. A universal joint comprising two' forked members at approximately right angles'to each other and the branches of which have external studs, a ring surrounding the'forks and in which the st-uds-arepivotally received to connect the forked members for universal movement, auseries of hollow-segmental lubricant receiving casing members-surrounding the ring and having inwardly-extending tubes furnished'at their inner ends with outwardly and inwardly extending flanges, bushings fittedaround the studs and inclosed by the tubes, and having flanges attheir in her ends, packings between the flanges ;;o:c the bushings and-the outer flanges of -the tubes. v

Auniversal joint comprising twoforked members at approximatelyright angles to each other and the'branches of which liave external studs, aring surrounding-theforks and in whichthe studs arepivotally{received to connect the-forked members for universal movement, aseries of hollow segmental lubricant receivingcasing mernhers surrounding the ring and "having inwardly extending tubes, bushings fitted around the studs and inclosed by the tubes, the tubes and the bushings having means therebetWeen for the conduct by centrifugal action of oil from the inner ends of the bushings to the interiors of the segmental casings.

6. A universal joint comprising two forked members at approximately right angles to each other and the branches of which have external studs, a ring surrounding the forks and in which the studs are pivotally received to connect the forked members for universal movement, a series of hollow segmental lubricant receiving casing members surrounding the ring and having inwardly extending HARRY M. FUNNELL.

Witnesses ELIN GARDELL, HEATH SUTHERLAND. 

